Ground-effect machine



Oct. 25, 1966 N. E; LEGGETT GROUND-EFFECT MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 15, 1964 TA NK 7 MM Wi/0J mfm w.; o mw Mm L M B N. E. LEGGETT GROUND-EFFECT MACHINE Oct. 25, 1966 Filed June l5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A =Hi ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,280,929 GROUND-EFFECT MACHINE Nickolaus E. Leggett, 44 W. 77th St., New York, N.Y. Filed .lune 15, 1964, Ser. No. 375,247 3 Claims. (Cl. 180-7) This invention relates to self propelled vehicles -andin particular to vehicles which operate in accordance with the so-called ground-effect principle.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ground-effect machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a groundeffect machine employing new and improved means of propulsion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ground-effect machine or air cushion vehicle which may utilize its means of propulsion for steering purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a groundeffect machine having magnetic components for stopping the means of propulsion before reversing same. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an air cushion vehicle having its components of propulsion housed entirely Within the vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ground-effect machine equipped with special air dellectors in the internal air stream for producing -a torque counter to that which is generated by the suspensory propeller, the resultant torque being adapted to be used for steering purposes.

According to the invention the ground-effect machme contains within itself its own means of propulsion. Disposed in the air stream created by the suspensory propeller and outside the regions of turbulence in the vicinity of the propeller and the air intake and exiting sites 1s at least one cylinder driven at a high velocity of rotation. The cylinder rotating in the air stream creates a pressure differential about the cylinder as a consequence of the difference in flow in the region of the cylinder. The resulting force on the cylinder, the direction of which depends on the direction of cylinder rotation, is transmitted to the vehi-cle within which the cylinder is mounted and propulsion of the machine is thereby afforded. It is contemplated that there may also ybe mounted within the vehicle a second cylinder disposed for example at right angles to the first cylinder and the two cylinders may be used to produce a vectorial, propulsion force for steering purposes the direction and magnitude of which depends on the relative and absolute values, respectively, of the rotation velocities of the two cylinders.

In the instant groundeffect machine it may be seen that the descending air stream is used for both propulsion and suspensory purposes. In the vicinity of the propeller the air fluid is quite turbulent and there is created in this region a torque on the machine which can cause problems in terms of either Suspension or propulsion or both. The instant device provides unique means for generating a counter torque to compensate for that produced by the propeller. The means for producing the counter torque may be controlled by the operator so as to generate a net torque which causes the vehicle to turn about the propeller turning axis and orient itself in the general direction of desired travel.

There follows a more detailed description of several embodiments of the invention which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a view in vertical cross-section illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the vehicle taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section showing the vehicle taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE 3 and showing the braking mechanism;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are plan and sectional detail respectively on a reduced scale showing a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a wiring diagram for manual control of the vehicle; and

FIGURE 8 shows a modified construction of the single cylinder vehicle.

The ground-effect vehicle is suspended above the ground by the additive forces composed of the jet reaction resulting directly from the action of the air stream impinging on the earth surface and the lifting force provided by the air cushion directly underneath the vehicle which is contained therebeneath by virtue of the jet air stream emanating from the bottom of the machine.

Referring to the drawings the ground-effect machine is provided with an outer vehicular body 10 having an air duct 12 of cylindrical formation and an outwardly tapering section 14 below and integrally attached to the section 12. The section 14 has a tapered nozzle component 16 connected by structural members 18 and 19 to the body 10 which provides an annular space 22 between the housing of section 14 and the nozzle component 16.

Within the top section 12 of the machine is the vehicle supporting propeller 24 mounted on shaft 26 which is driven in the usual manner by motor 28 supported on the nozzle component 16 having a gas feed line 29 in the lower section 14 of the vehicle. Above the propeller 24 and the motor 28 are torque compensating deflectors 30 and 32 actuated by rods 30a and 32a, respectively which can serve to neutralize the propeller generated torque or cause the vehicle to turn about its axis vertical to the earths surface for steering purposes by under or over compensating for the propeller torque. The counter torque is created when the deflectors 30 and 32 are oppositely turned from vertical position, see FIGURE 3, on rotatable tube 30a and concentric rod 32a, respectively.

Cylinder 34, as shown in FIGURE l is rotatably mounted above the propeller in brackets 35 and 35a supported on opposing inner wall surface areas of section 12 and is driven in rotation by an internal motor (not shown) through pinion 37 and ring gear 39 with the cylinder.

For steering purposes the single cylinder 34 could conceivably be mounted to turn in a ring on a central axis normal to its rotational axis or, as shown in FIGURE l, the cylinder has a stationary mounting and there is provided externally of the body 10 a rudder 36 having a rack and pinion control 41 manually -actuated by rod 41a, the .rudder being acted upon by the air stream produced by the lpropeller through vent 38 when the vehicle is stationary and by the wind outside the vehicle when the latter is in motion.

As shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, steering may be accomplished by providing a second cylinder 40 above the propeller 24 and the cylinder 34 being disposed at right angles to the latter. The cylinder 40 is driven by an internal motor (not shown) and is mounted in opposing wall brackets 44 and 44a. The cylinders 34 and 40 are located `in the laminar air regions of the vehicle outside the region of turbulence which is present in the vicinity of the propeller, the -steering being achieved by regulating the rotational velo-cities so as to produce vectorial components of propulsion which -are combined to obtain the desired resultant for-ce of propulsion.

A schematic wiring diagram is illustrated in FIGURE 7 for driving one of the cylinders in either direction depending on the desired direction of travel. The arrangement for the second cylinder is the same and is, therefore not shown. As shown, pivotal hand lever 46 is composed of top and bottom half sections which are insulated from Patented Oct. 25, 1966 each other, the insulated bottom section being connected through conducting b-ar 48 and lead 50 to the positive side of the battery B and through its wiper and rheostat winding S2 to side a of motor M. The negative side of the battery is connected to side b of the motor through lead 54 conducting bars 56 and 58 electrically connectable by the top section of the hand llever and the lead 60.

Passing the lever through ott position, which disconnects the motor from the battery circuit, and moving to reverse position it may be seen that the motor will be connected in the opposite polarity to the battery. That is, the wiper on the hand lever in contact with the Winding 62 connects side a to the negative side of the battery through the bottom section of the lever, conducting bar 64 and lead 66. On the other hand the positive battery terminal is connected to side b of the motor by means of lead 68 conducting bars 70 and 72 connected by the upper section ofthe h-and lever and lead 7 4.

In the olf position the cylinders are `positively stopped before reversing. To this end an electromagnet 76 is disposed in proximity to t-he disc 78 mounted on the cylinder shaft as shown in FIGURE 1. When current is passed through winding 75 arranged on the magnet, induced eddy currents in the disc result in a powerful drag thereon causing the cylinder to stop allmost instantaneously in accordan-ce with 4long recognized principles. For this purpose, conducting bars 80 and 482 `are disposed in the off position of the lever, as shown in FIGURE 7, the bars being disposed in the electromagnetic circuit which includes a battery B and t-he winding 75.

Fan brakes 84 and 86 mounted externally of the vehicle may be used to provide supplemental braking. Each brake is composed of articulated sections 88 arranged between rods 90 on the top of which are disposed rollers 92 which are alternately guided within adjacent tracks 94 and 96. The fan is extended by means of arm 98 which pivots together with the rods which are pivotally connected to the arm at point P. Below the pivot point P the arm 98 is provided with an extension member 100 to which mechanism (not shown) can be attached for the purpose of extending and collapsing the fan brake.

In the two cylinder vehicle it is apparent that due to vector steering the vehicle can be caused to change its direction of travel without turning on itself toward the new line of travel. However, .in the one cylinder machine having a rudder steering control, the machine will turn on an axis ninety degrees to the rotation axis of the cylinder.l The resulting gyroscopic effect will cause the machine to tilt about an axis ninety degrees to the aforementioned axes. It would thus seem desirable to provide mechanism to compensate for cylinder precession during a turning movement. To this end in the cylindrical section 12, as shown in FIGURE 8, and underneath end of the cylinder 34 there may be provided an anti-bank dellector 102. Each deflector is independently controlled by linkages (not shown) to shut off 4as much of the vehicle supporting air flow under the raised end of the cylinder as is neces-sary to restore the vehicle to level position.

The operator is stationed in a cabin 104 located externally of the body 10 and there controls the speed of the cylinders, the torque deiiectors, the anti-bank deflectors, the brake mechanism and the rubber. Where two cylinders are provided the two hand levers should preferably be arranged to move in the direction of propulsion controlled thereby so as to simplify for the operator the functional significance of the hand controls.

Various other modifications of invention may be effected by persons skillled in the art without departing rom the scope and principle of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a ground-effect machine having an air duct, at least one cylinder adapted to rotate continuously, means for generating an ai-r stream in said duct, said cylinder being disposed within the duct and in the undeected path of said air stream flowing past opposing sides thereof in a direction normal to the lon-gitudinal axis of the machine whereby a differential thrust pressure is produced in operation, the axis of said cylinder being angularly oriented to the direction of said air stream, and means for operating said generating means and said cylinder as the solely required element-s needed to produce said differential thrust pressure.

2. In a ground effect machine as defined in claim 1 wherein there :are provided a plurality of cylinders angularly oriented to each other within the duct, each cylinder being disposed and oriented with respect to the airstream as defined in claim 1, the axes of at least two of said cylinders being non-parallel, whereby steering control of the machine is effected -according to the relative rotational velocities of the non-parallel cylinders.

3. In a ground effect machine as defined in claim 1 wherein a rudder is disposed externally of said machine and there is provided a vent having its intake end in said air stream and being arranged to direct a portion of the generated air stream against said rudder whereby steering control is avail-able during suspended flight.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 681,835 9/1901 SOldana 310-93 2,039,676 5/1936 Zaparkra 244-21 3,026,066 3/1962 COateS l80-7 3,054,578 9/1962 Brocard 244-23 3,071,334 l/l963 Barnes 244-23 3,184,183 5/1965 Piasecki 180-7 BENI AMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

M. S. SALES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A GROUND-EFFECT MACHINE HAVING AN AIR DUCT, AT LEAST ONE CYLINDER ADAPTED TO ROTATE CONTINUOUSLY, MEANS FOR GENERATING AN AIR STREAM IN SAID DUCT, SAID CYLINDER BEING DISPOSED WITHIN THE DUCT AND IN THE UNDEFLECTED PATH OF SAID AIR STREAM FLOWING PAST OPPOSING SIDES THEREOF IN A DIRECTION NORMALLY TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE MACHINE WHEREBY A DIFFERENTIAL THRUST PRESSURE IS PRODUCED IN OPERATION, THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDER BEING ANGULARLY ORIENTED TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID AIR STREAM, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID GENERATING MEANS AND SAID CYLINDER AS THE SOLELY REQUIRED ELEMENTS NEEDED TO PRODUCE SAID DIFFERENTIAL THRUST PRESSURE. 